long life of the fathers the oracles of God were committed to them without any mention of writing because they were both wise and faithful in the custody and transmission of them For Adam himself living nine hundred and thirty years to teach his children had under his teaching Seth Enosh Kenan Mahalaleel Iarod Henoch Methusalah and Lamech the father of Noah And Noah lived with Abraham 57 years But after the flood when the Church in the posterity of Iacob encreased and no doubt had many corruptions by dwelling in Aegypt then was Moses appointed both to be the deliverer of the People of Israel from Aegypt and to be the Penman of God to write those things which God would have to remain in the Church for all succeeding times and after him successively holy men wrote as they were inspired And a better Argument we cannot give for the danger of unwritten traditions which the Church of Rome doth so much commend even above Scripture then this God saw that men had corrupted their ways and he found the imaginations of mens hearts only evil continually and that the Church was a very few therefore he stirred up Noah to be a Preacher of righteousnesse in whom the light of truth was preserved he destroyed the old sinful world and by Noah and Sem he began a new Church to the restored world Yet after Noahs death the worship of strange gods were brought in so that to heal this grief and to prevent the danger of traditions God caused the Word to be written by holy men for the perpetual use of his Church whose books were faithfully preserved in all ages thereof Then came the Sonne of God and he left his spirit in the Church to lead the Church into all truth by which spirit the New Testament was endited and written So that now all things necessary to salvation are so clearly revealed that traditions of men have no necessary use in the Church in the substance of true Religion for that which is written is sufficient The Church of Rome denieth the sufficiency of Scripture Many of their great learned men write both basely and blasphemously thereof But they are not agreed upon the point for Scotus Gerson Oecam Cameracensis Waldensis Vincentius Lerinensis do all confesse what we teach of the sufficiency of Scripture as the learned Deane of Glocester Dr. Field l. 3. de Eccoles c. 7. hath fairly cited them And Dr. White in his way of the Church addeth Tho. Aquinas Antoninus Arch-bishop of Florence Durandus Alliaco a Cardinal Conradus Clingius Peresius Divinity Reader at Barcilena in Spain and Cardinal Bellarmine Of whom Possevinus writeth that he is one of the two that have won the Garland De verbo Dei l. 1. c. 2. Sacra Scriptura regulae credendi certissima tutissima est Per corporales literas quas cerneremus legeremus erudire not voluit Deus Writing against Swenck field and the Libertines this is a legal witnesse Pro Orthodoxo heretici testimonium valeat I know to whom I speak and therefore I forbear the Polemical bands of arguments to and fro upon this question which in print and in English is so fully and learnedly debated Our lesson is seeing Gods care of his Church for the instruction thereof is here exprest in commanding his revealed will to be written that God would have his Church to be taught his ways in all the ages thereof Doct. 1. Because the ways of God Reas 1 and the saving health of God cannot be parted none can have the saving health of God without the knowledge of his ways no ignorant man can be saved it is said of Christ By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Isa 53.11 per scientiam qua scitur Therefore Davids Prayer is That thy way may be known upon earth thy saving health among all nations 2. Because the promise of God doth run in semine Reas 2 in the seed I will be thy God and the God of thy seed Our children are the Lords inheritance his care extendeth so farre That yee may live Deut. 5.33 and that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days But that is not all That it may be well with them and their children for ever Vers 29. 3. For his own sake Reas 3 that his Wisdome Power and Iustice may be known to men that they may be able to plead the cause of God against such as either ignorantly through unbelief or maliciously and blasphemously shall dispute and argue against God for therefore God doth condescend to this Apology of himself that he may instruct his Church how to plead the cause of his Iustice against all strife of tongues that the name of God be not evil-spoken of To make profit of this point Vse 2 1. Herein let us consider what the Lord hath done for our souls for he hath given us two means to communicate to us his holy will hearing and reading and he hath used to this purpose both the voice and the pen of holy men for he spake by the mouth of all the holy Prophets since the world began and holy men wrote as his spirit directed them Let him that hath ears to heare heare quid Spiritus Ps 34.16 Mat. 24.15 and seek yee out the book of the Lord and read but then adde this caution Who so readeth let him understand It was Philips question sed intelligis quod legis Seeing God hath written to us Vse 2 and the whole body of holy Scripture may well be called Gods Epistle or Letter to his Church let us bestow the reading of Gods letter St. Augnstiue saith Quae de illa Civitate unde peregrinamur venerunt nobis literae ipsae sunt Scripturae It was St. Gregories complaint of Theodorus In Ps 90.2 that he was so over-busied with secular cares Regist 4.84 Et quotidie legere negligit verba redemptoris sui quid est autem Scriptura sacra nisi quaedam epistola Omnipotentis dei ad venturam suam It is a question in our times whether printing hath done more hurt or good for Satan finding this a means to keep things alive in the world hath employed the Presse in all sorts of heresies in all sorts of idle and lascivious false and dicterious slanderous and biasphemous books The remedy is to refrain such readings and as Dr. Reynold tels Hart his adversary that he hath no book allowed him to read but the Bible It is likely then that he is perfect in that book and that Physitians do well when they find their Patient surfeited with too much variety of meat to confine him to some one wholesome dyet So shall we do well to limit our selves to the reading of Gods letter and know his mind for he is wisest and the wisedome that we shall gather from thence is wisedome from above it is able to make us wise unto salvation as the Apostle saith 3. Seeing God teacheth us by
he saith to me he must have the warrant of his own mission from a special illumination of his own understanding or else his Trumpet will never give a certain sound 4. This bindeth the hearer to affection For if the spirit speaketh to the Churches then qui habet aures audiendi audiat he that hath ears let him hear Est Deus in nobis God is in us they do not flatter us as they did Herod and we shall never die of the wormes for receiving that testimony of our Ministry if we deal faithfully that say of our preaching The voice of God and not of man for Saint Paul testifieth of the Thessalonians For this cause also thank we God 1 Thes 2.13 because when ye received the Word of God which yee heard of us yee received it not as the Word of men but as it is in truth the Word of God which effectually worketh also on you that believe Beloved it is true that we that are now the witnesses of God have not that open accesse to him that the Prophet had to receive immediate instructions from his own mouth But Christ saith Sicut misit me Pater it a ego mitto vos as the Eather sent me so send I you And he telleth his Father how he hath provided for his Church till his second coming I have given them the word which thou gavest me Iohn 17.8 and they have received them and having so done he said unto them Ite docete Go and teach When thou comest then to Church and hearest Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms which was the Manna wherwith God fed the fathers before the incarnation of Christ when the Veile of the Temple was up remember what Abraham said to the rich man Habent Mosen Prophetas audiant eos They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them that is the way to keep out of hell When thou hearest the voice of the Sonne of God in the Gospel the Veile of the Temple being torn from the top to the bottome Christ now reveiled to thee with open face Take heed thou despise not him that speaketh to thee in the Ministry of a mortal man this is a treasure which is brought unto you in earthen vessels value the vessels at their own worth in themselves but yet regard them above their worth for their use for they bring you the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Enough to make you wise unto salvation sufficient to beget faith in you by which you may overcome the world enough to make you perfect throughly perfect to all good works This is done by our Ministry if you will hear God in us and what would you desire more then to be taught how to become wise and honest for such are not afraid of the Parliament and say with Saint Paul With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you 1 Cor. 4.3 or of mans judgement 2. The vigilancy of the Prophet I will stand upon the watch Amongst the great titles of honour and service that are given to the Ministers of the Word in Scripture this is one they are called Watchmen It is Gods word to Ezechiel Ezek 3.17 Sonne of man I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel therefore hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me which is repeated in the same words chapt 33.7 as the Margent of the Kings Bible directeth you This correspondence must be between God and his Minister for if God do make us watchmen over the house of Israel then with Habakkuk we must stand upon the watch Let not us plead the trust of God committed to us except we can plead our faithfulnesse in the discharge of that trust This is indeed an honour done to the Prophets and Ministers of the Church to commit the Church of God to our care but the burthen of this care to keep watch is exceeding great A necessity is laid upon me and wo be to me if I preach not the Gospel Here be two things in this office 1. To watch 2. To give warning 1. Some can watch but they can give no warning Ministers of good and preaching lives but not apt to teach which Saint Paul requires in his Ministers Of whom Saint Hierome saith Innocens sine Sermone Conversatio quantum prodest exemplo tantum nocet silentio 2. Some will sometimes give warning but they cannot always watch Preach learnedly when they preach but they have not learnt out all their lesson of the Apostle Cave tibi doctrina in his Persta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Continue in these things it requires incumbency as the Law calleth it 3. But if we will do our duties we must do both some would fain do both and cannot get a watchmans place there is none void For be the People never so empty yet Ecclesia est plena the Church is full All is not well that way the Church complains and they that have laboured abundantly to enable themselves for this watch are too much searched and examined too narrowly for their gifts Others have a watch but they do not with the Prophet stand upon it either they sit at ease or they sleep it out soundly this Prophet promiseth to stand in readinesse for action and execution of his charge Beloved many will not beleeve it but we feel it if we make conscience of our duties in our calling that our vocation is laborious this watching in all weathers and this robbing of our temples of their timely rest to attend the watch over your souls as those that must give an account to God for our selvs and for you is an honourable burthen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who is sufficient 1. Vigilat hostis The enemy watcheth he compasseth the earth to and again he goeth about like a roaring Lyon he is ever either reaching out an Apple of temptation as to Eve or stretching our an arme of provocation as to the blessed Virgin gladius pertransibit animam tuam We must keep you waking that he bring not upon you the spirit of slumber we must awake you if you sleep in sin that he surpize you not Custos Israelis non dormit the keeper of Israel slumbreth not Alexander lies down to sleep without fear because he leaves Parmenio his faithful counsellor waking David will lay him down in peace and take his rest seeing God doth make him dwell in safety Dominus dat dilectis suis somnum Yet let us observe two things concerning our sleep for the Apostle saith Therefore let us not sleep as do others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thes 5.6 as unbeleevers Lyranus qui sunt increduli 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as are left out of the Church and out of Gods fold to the world let us not sleep so how then 1. Before our sleep let us take Davids example for our Donec until I will not give sleep to mine eyes nor slumber to
is of fear Sol. To this I answer let not us dispute the Will of God or search beyond that which is revealed if God have revealed his Will to us that must be our guide That revealed will hath threatned nothing in us but sin and sin carrieth two rods about it shame and feare There be two things in a regenerate Elect man 1. A Conscience of his sin 2. Faith in the promises of God through Christ So long as we do live we do carry about us Corpus peccati the body of sin and as that doth shake and weaken faith so doth it confirme and strengthen fear 1. We are taught from hence to believe the Word of God Vse 1 the Apostle saith He is faithful that hath promised The faithful servants of God have this promise I will not leave thee nor forsake thee David believes him in convalle umbr aemortis non timebo in the valley of the shadow of death I will not fear Job believes him Though he kill me I will trust in him David believes verily when he smarts I shall see the goodnesse of God in the land of the living It is a sweet content of the inward man when the conscience pleads not guilty to the love of sin though our infirmities miscarry us often that we may say with Nehemiah Remember me O Lord concerning this and blot not out the loving kindnesse that I shewed to thy house and to the officers thereof Neh. 13.14 and with Ezekiah Remember Lord now I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth Is 38.3 and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight But it followeth And Hezekiah wept sore If he were so good a man why did he weep if not so good why did he boast Surely we carry all our good amongst a multitude of infirmities and therefore we cannot rejoyce in our own integrity with a perfect and full joy yet is it a sweet repose to the heart when God giveth us peace of conscience from the dominion of sin So on the other side believe God threatning impenitent sinners with his judgments for he is wise to see the sins of the ungodly he is holy to hate them he is just to judge them and he is Omnipotent to punish them Let me give one instance The third Commandment in the first Table of the law saith Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain what needs any more 1. Put these two one against another Thou The Lord thy God 2. Consider what the law concerns Gods name wherein standeth His glory Our help 3. What is forbidden taking it in vaine and we pray Sanctificetur let it be hallowed But where all this will not serve yet this is murus ahenus a brazen wall one would think God doth make yet another fence about his name an hedge of thornes The Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine The Lawes of God be unreversible decrees heaven and earth shall passe ere one of these words shall sink or lose strength Yet the blasphemer feareth nothing that is a crying sinne in this land not the houses only the streets and high wayes resound the dishonour of Gods name this sin is grown incorrigible The Land mourneth because of oaths Hoc dicunt omnes ante Alpha Beta puellae And beleeve God who cannot lye He will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vain Thus we may make use of this doctrine to restraine if not overcome and to destroy the dominion if not the being of sinne in us 2. For the better rectifying of our judgments and reformation of our lives Vse 2 let us observe the consonancy of Gods practice in the world with the truth of his word he hath declared himself an hater of evill and do we not see daily examples of his judgements upon wicked men how ill they prosper in their estates what shame and disgrace and losse of all that they have unrighteously gotten cometh upon them how their posterity smarteth according to that threatning in the second Commandment God bringing the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and visiting it to the third and fourth generation of them that hate him that we may say Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall Whence cometh all this but from the constant truth of Gods unreversible decrees because the word is gone out of his mouth and though the ungodly do not beleeve it though it be told them Verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that judgeth in the earth We may say of our times as Hecuba did of hers Non unquam tulit documenta fo rs majora quà m fragili loco starent superbi for We live in the schoole of discipline and the rod of correction is not only shewed but used with a strong hand that all men may fear to be unrighteous we have not only Vigorem verborum the vigor of words chiding sin in our ministry of the word but rigorem verberum the rigor of stripes in the administration of justice never did any age bring both fuller examples of terror then we have heard with our ears and seen with our eyes for the wisdome of Gods decrees and the word of Gods truth is justified in our sight therefore seeing sentence executed upon evil works let the hearts of the sons of men be wholly set in them to do evil 3. Let us consider the vaine confidence of the ungodly Vse 3 and compare it with the constant truth of the decrees and word of God Isay expresseth it fully Ye have said we have made a Covenant with death Isa 28.15 and with hell are we at agreement when the over-flowing scourge shall passe through it shall not come to us for we have made lyes our refuge and under falsehood have we hid our selves They are answered and confounded The bed is shorter then a man can stretch himself on it Vers 20. and the covering narrower then he can wrap himself in it He that is to lodge so uneasily cannot say I will lay me downe in peace and take my rest The Chaldeans invade the Church they kill and take possession and divide the prey they oppose better and more righteous men then themselves their trust is in their strength and riches and power Nec leves metuunt Deos. What care they who weeps so they laugh or who bleeds so they sleep in a whole skin who dies so they live They trust in lying vanities Solomon saith Eccl. 8.12 Though a sinner do evill an hundred times and his dayes his prolonged yet surely I know it shall be well with them that feare God Vers 13. which feare before him But it shall not be well with the wicked neither shall he prolong his dayes which are a shadow because he feareth not before God God hath made an Act against them their judgment is sealed they
the rod of the Spanish inquisition long subject to the sugillations of the Jesuits their mortall enemies But now the sword of massacre is drawn against them before there were some attempts made upon the persons of some few of the Religion or some encroachment made upon their goods They thought it gain to lose all for Christ so that they might win him and be found in him but now the poor distressed Church heareth the voyce of the daughter of Babel crying out against her Nudate Nudate First discerning them and then but who can tell what then the true Church lying at the mercy of Rome shall find her mercies cruel We cannot but take notice of it that the Church of Rome is both a strong and a bloody enemy she is not yet stupannated nor past teeming she aboundeth in continuall sucerescence of new seed Cardinal Bellarm. under the name of Tertus doth wonder why our King should fear the cruell dominion of the Pope under whom all his Tributaries do so well And the humble Supplicants to his Majesty for the liberty of conscience as they call it and for Toleration of the Romish Religion have urged the peaceable state of our neighbours in France where the Papist and Protestant do both exercise their Religion in Peace We now see they feele and smart for it that there can be no peace with Jezebel of Rome 2 Reg. 9.22 so long as her whoredomes and her witchcrafts are so many She lieth lurking in the secret places to murther the innocent her patience is limited with no other bounds but Donec adsint vires till they have strength Nuni proximus ardet Vcalegon They have declared themselves here what they would have done Our comfort is in this Vision and we must tarry and wait the Lords leasure Haman the Jesuit hath got a decree against the Reformed Church in France to root it out and the sword is now drawn against them the Protestants in Bohemia have felt the edge of the Romish sword she that cals her selfe mother of the Christians ostendit ubera verbera producit she pretendeth love Savus amor docuit natorum sanguine matrem commaculare manus And the Church makes pitiful moan saying Shall they therefore empty their not and not spare continually to stay the nations Hab. 1.17 But we know that God is good to Israel to such as be true of heart God hath a sword too and he is whetting of it he hath a quiver and it is full of arrows he is bending of his bowe and preparing his instruments of death and he hath a right hand and that shall find out all his enemies How shall we wear out the weary houres of time till God come and have mercy upon Sion we have many ways to deceive the time 1. The idle think the time long whilst we have therefore time let us do good we have work enough to work out our salvation with feare and trembling to make our Calling and Election sure ro seek the Lord whilst he may be found to wash us and make us clean to put away the evil of our works to cease to do evil to learn to do well to get and keep faith and a good conscience to walk with our God They that well consider what they have to do borrow time from their natural rest from their meats from their recreations to bestow it on the service of God There be that overcharge themselves with the businesses of the world with the care of gathering riches with ambitious thoughts of rising higher with wanton desires of the flesh with sensual surfeits in gluttony and drunkennesse and the day is not long enough for these children of this world to whom I say with the shepheard Quin tu aliquid saltem potius quorum indiget usus Virg Alexis Are these the things you look upon non relinquetur lapis super lapidem There shal not be left a stone upon a stone Walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time because the days are evill Remember your Creation to good works that you should walk in them and whilst you have the light walk in the light Ambulate in luce Ambulate digni luce 2. To sweeten the delay of the vision and to shorten the time of our expectation let us heare our Saviour saying Search the Scriptures There 1. We shall find the promises of God made to his Church in all ages thereof beginning in Paradise at semen mulieris the seed of the woman and so continuing to the fall of the great strumpet the ruine of Babylon in the Revelation wherein we shall find God to be yesterday and to day and the same for ever 2. We shall read the examples of Gods mercy to his Church and judgement of the enemies there of all the Bible through It is a work for the Sabbath as appeareth in the proper Psalm for the day To praise God for this Psal 92. to sing unto the name of the most high The Church professeth itâ—â—◠〈…〉 Thou Lord hast made me glad through thy work Vers 4. I will triumph in the works of thy hands The works of God are these When the wicked spring as grasse and when all the workers of wickednesse do flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever For lo thine enemies O Lord for do thine enemies shall perish all the workers of iniquity shall be scartered But my horne shall be exalted like the horne of an Vnicorn I shall be annointed with fresh oyl Mine eye shall see my desire upon mine enemies mine eares shall heare my desire of the wicked that rise up against me The righteous shall flourish like a palme-tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God They shall bring forth more fruit in their age they shall be fat and flourishing The use of all To shew that the Lord is upright he is my rock and there is no unrighteousuesse in him These be meditations of a Sabbath of rest and the word of God giveth full examples of this truth and daily experience in our own times offereth it 3. The Scripture doth put into our mouths Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs teaching us to sing and to make melody to God in our hearts Excellent to this purpose are the Psalms of the Bible and if we sing merrily to the God of our salvation this will passe away the time of our waiting for the promise of God cheerfully we shall not think it long For this did David desire to live Oh let me live and I wil praise thy name 4. The Scripture is full of heavenly consolations to establish the heart that it shall not sinke under the burthen of this expectation for in the Scriptures the Spirit of God speaketh Let him that hath ears to hear hear what the Spirit speaks to the Churches this Spirit Christ hath left in his Church
then should keep thee from this remedy 1. Consider that there is no man in better case then thou by nature for all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God 2. Confider that this remedy is without thy self if it were of thy self thou hadst cause to distaste it but it is the free offer of Gods grace to thee 3. Consider that the giver of the Remedy is the giver of faith also by which the remedy is apprehended and applyed and if thou do not feel this faith in thy self do not judge thy self void of it for there may be and is faith often where is no feeling thereof 4. Tarry the Lords leasure as before wait for the vision will not lye How long lay the poore man at the Poole of Bethesda and though still hindered yet was he not without hope We must not part the truth of God and his justice and mercy for the truth of God bindeth both the threatnings of his judgement and the truth of his mercy Thus is the faith of the Elect given and nourished in us 2. How our faith may be proved Because there may be a shew and seeming of faith where the true substance thereof is wanting the best way to try our faith is by the true touchstone for as gold is tried by the touch so faith which is much more precious then gold that perisheth hath a proper touchstone to try it 1 Pet. 1.7 1. That is the conscience of man within for that doth declare to himself his faith 2. That is good conversation and godly life for that doth declare our faith to men 1. A good Conscience For being justified by faith we have peace toward God Rom. 5. This peace a wicked man cannot have Non est pax impio saith God No peace to the wicked Against this is a double objection 1. Many wicked men have quiet hearts and aile nothing Object they are not humbled like other men they are not poured from vessel to vessel therefore their sent remaineth in them The effect of true peace is joy in the Holy Ghost Sol. The wicked mans joy is not such it is but a flash it is neitâ—â—â—â—ound for when any tryal cometh it faileth neither is â—t 〈…〉 for it perisheth in time neither is it growing and increâ—â—â—â—g neither is it excusing 2. Many of the best of Gods servants have their minds troubled and suffer great distresses in their conscience for sinne Object 2 yea such a winter there is upon their souls that they feel not any life of grace at all in them True but observe from whence this ariseth Sol. even from the warre of the spirit against the flesh the world and the devil in which conflict often times the spirit is daunted and dismayed for a season but there is ever joy in tribulations and joy arising and growing out of sorrowes whereas the hearts of them that have not Faith dye in them And this fire is from heaven the covering of it with oppressions doth make it burn so much the hotter and the strring of it up with temptations doth make it shine the clearer so that peace of conscience is a sure signe of a good Faith 2. Another touch-stone for this gold this Faith is an evidence of godly conversation to approve our selves to God and man both by doing all the duties of a godly life and avoyding the contrary This is the only work of Faith in us 1. The pit whence we draw this water of life is deep the bucket by which we fetch it up is Faith for whatsoever desire or strength we have or endeavour to live godly it is an extraction drawn by our Faith from Jesus Christ I live by Faith in the same God 2. Faith only doth assure to us the loving kindnesse of God God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son c. Ecce quantam charitatem what eye shall behold this but the eye of Faith 3. Faith worketh love that is it breedeth a correspondence between Christ and us for the beleeving soul assured of Christs love to it doth cast about within it self quid rependam and finding nothing to recompence that love it seeketh how God may be pleased and walketh in that way so neer as he can So it is said of the faithful that they walk with God and they answer every temptation to evill as Joseph did How shall I do this and sin agaâ—â—â—â—â—â—d Or if by infiâ—â—â— â—hey fall they cry God mercy and they groan and grieâ—â—â—â—hin themselves that they cannot performe better service to God Thus we love God 1 Joh. 4.19 Luk. 7 47. because he loved us first And Christ said Many sins are forgiven her quia dilexit multum This is a fruit of the Holy Ghost shed abroad in our hearts by faith Observe it when faith doth lie concealed in us that our selves cannot discern it yet may we discern in our selves our love of God and of such as love God and this proves Gods love to us for we could not love him except he loved us first 4. Faith maketh us sincere for it is the notation of our faith it is called faith unfained and Christ saith Blessed be the pure in heart faith purifieth the heart as the Apostle saith These are not the generation of them that are pure in their own eyes of which Solomon spake but the other of which David his father spake Haec est generatio quaerentium faciem tuam Seeing there cannot be perfectio operis the perfection of works God is pleased if there be puritas cordis purity of heart 2 Cor. 1.12 which the Apostle calleth Simplicitie and godly purenesse And that is known by these signes 1. If a man be humbled in true contrition for sins which he knoweth himself guilty of and hath no peace in his heart till he hath comfort in his conscience that God hath forgiven them 2. If he consider his own weaknesse so farre as to acknowledge that he committeth many sins that he knoweth not and prayeth earnestly and often with David à secretis meis munda me cleanse me from my secret sins 3. If he finde in his heart a present strife of his spirit against the flesh wrastling with his own corruptions and not suffering sin to reign in his mortal body leading him captive to the Law of sinne 4. If he finde him watchful to prayer and fasting and watching and all exercises of mortification striving to bring his body in subjection to the law of God 5. If he be willing to hide the word of God in his heart to arme him against Satans temptations as Christ did with scriptum est it is written 6. If he finde a desire of perseverance therein to the end which is discerned by his spiritual growth from grace to grace bringing forth more fruit even in age as Christ testifieth of the Church of Thyatira more at the last then at the first Rev. 2.19 For he that beleeveth in
but in the fields and amidst their military preparations when their tents were pitcht as it were in readinesse to give battail which is a Rhethoricall amplification of the greatnesse of their terrour My observation from this place in this The power of God shewed in the terror of the wicked doth prove that there is a God Doctr. and therefore no people on earth can be altogether ignorant of the God-head Why should the tents of Cushan be in affliction Why should the curtains of Midian tremble but that the fear of the Lord is upon them God daunteth and dismayeth them It was one of Gods promises to his people Ye are to pass through the coasts of your brethren the children of Esau which dwell in Sen and they shall be afraid of you Deu. 2.4 This deliverance of Israel from Egypt was a most memorable act of Gods power and made his name great in all the earth it followeth He i.e. Esau knoweth thy walkings through the great wilderness these forty years Vâ—r. 7. the Lord thy God hath been with thee thou hast lacked nothing Rahab that entertained the Spies whom Joshua sent to view the Land of Canaan saved them from the dangerous pursuite of the messengers of the King of Jericho and she said to them I know the Lord hath given you the Land and that your terror is fallen upon us Josh 2.9 and that all the Inhabitants of the Land melt because of it For we heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea for you when he came out of Egypt and what you did to the two Kings of the Amorites on the other side Jordan Sihon and Og whom ye destroyed utterly And assoon as we heard these things our hearts did melt neither did there remain any more courage in any man because of you for the Lord your God he is God above in Heaven and in Earth beneath And this is the right way to make God known to the wicked and ungodly of the earth From thence came that prayer of David Put them in fear O Lord that they may know themselves to be but men Psa 9.20 The fear of God vvill smite them vvith such terrour that they shall not have hear to stirre against him So it is said that God is known by executing his judgments Reason Rom. 2.5 For as the Apostle saith the very naturall man hath the work of the law written in his heart The lavv vvritten in the heart of every man is a generall principle both of truth in the understanding vvhich affirmeth a divine nature and of avve in the affections to make him feared And this lavv is not idle but it vvorketh for there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vvork of the lavv And this is the true cause vvhy there is no peace at all to the vvicked man because he hath the lavv of nature vvorking vvithin him vvhich is against him and he hath not the lavv of grace to lay the storms vvhich the law of nature raiseth From hence it commeth that the wicked flyeth when no man pursueth as Solomon saith and he feareth where no fear is and Tully could say that all the poeticall fictions of the furies which disquieted men so much were but the pinchings and convulsions of mens guilty consciences who when they had done evill knew that they had broken the law written in their hearts and then feared the power which they saw above them armed with vengeance against evill doers St. Paul teacheth us the use of this point Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power Vse Rom. 31.3 do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same Where doing that which is good hath a double reward for it quiteth fear and it crowneth us with praise Me thinks that this consideration of the reward should stirre us up to say What shall we do that we may work the works of God John 6.28 29. Then will Christ tell us This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent Faith in Christ taketh away this terrour of the Lord as the Aoostle saith we knowing the terrour of the Lord do perswade men and what is the thing to which the Apostles doe perswade but to reconciliation with God through Christ so that when we preach faith to you wee preach peace even as the Apostle saith peace to them that are neer peace to them are far off and the God of peace sendeth his Son the peace of his Church with the Gospell of peace Wee are taught here that the welfare of the Church is the grief and vexation of her enemies 2 Doct. Cushan and Midian are afflicted and in a cold fit when they hear what God doth for Israel So did the Aegyptians repine at the prosperity of Israel in Aegypt they said Behold the children of Israel are more and mightier then we Exod. 1.10 Come let us deal wisely with them lest they multiply c. You see vvhat the vvorld thinks of their plots against the Church of God they think they do vvisely vvhen they vex the Church this is that wisedome which the Apostle doth call carnall sensuall and divelish And these be the wifemen of which it is said ubi sapiens where is the wiseman and God hath made the wisedome of the world foolishnesse The reason of this opposition is given by our Saviour the world hateth you because you are not of the world Reas 1 and I have chosen you out of the world and for this they weep at the joy of the Church they joy at their weeping the Prophets complaint Truth faileth and he that departeth from evill maketh himself a prey Isa 59.15 So David But mine enemies they are lively they are strong Psal 38.19 and they that hate wrong fully are multiplyed They also that render evill for good are mine adversaries Verse 20. because I follow the thing that good is They began betimes for Cain slue his brother 1 Joh. 3.12 Ratio rationis and wherefore slue he him because his own works were evil his brothers righteous I can easily bring you to the head of these bitter waters so soon as Adam had fallen from grace when God kept his first assise upon earth and convented and arraigned the transgressours the man the woman and the serpent he revealed his eternall counsell of election and reprobation and put a difference between the seed and seed the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent Which is not onely to be understood of the unreconciliable enmity that is between Christ and the Devill For Christ was the seed of the woman quia solus ita semen mulieris non etiam vâ—ri semen sit But hee meant therein that enmity vvhich should be betvvixt the elect vvho are the seed of the vvoman by naturall generation and the holy seed by spirituall regeneration so called Semen sanctum and the seed of the
We must do God this right to honour him in his own works Reas 2 because if we be silent and do not our duty herein yet David saith Ps 145.10 All thy works shall praise thee O Lord. 3 We see the enemies of God do not spare to do all they can to rob God of his glory Reas 3 and as one saith Vigilat bostis tu dormis the enemy waketh and dost thou sleep Some gave out amongst the Egyptians that this passage over the sea on dry land was onely an advantage taken by Moses of a great ebbe occasioned by an extraordinary wind which comming of the land at the head of the bay made all the head of the bay dry land for many miles together but the text is against that for it sheweth how the waters were a wall unto them on both hands Again the waters were divided by an East vvind but that vvind blows not from that shore but rather it should have been a Northerly vvind others imputed this to Moses as done by magicall arts vvhich if it had been so no doubt but there vvere vvith Pharcah of his Magitians that could in the learning of the Egyptians have vvrought vvith Moses hand to hand And surely that is the reason that there is so often mention of this vvonder in Scripture to stirre up all faithfull people to vindicate the honour of God against the depravers thereof This admonisheth us both to the hearing and reading the story of the Bible Vse 2 that we may understand what the Lord hath done in former ages Gen. 18.19 God himself made Abraham so much of his counsail for that because he knew that Abraham would teach his children And for that the Sacrament of the Passeover was instituted Ex. 12.26 for that it might teach their children after them For this were the twelve stones set up in Gilgall Josh 4.21 to teach the story of the passage over Jordan and in the New Testament the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was instituted in remembrance of Christ till his coming so many as would learn matter enough to fill their mouthes with the praise of God let them open the two Testaments and read therein let them hear and study that holy story there is enough in it to make a man wise to salvation For this is your wisedom and understanding to know the Lord and to serve him and to honour him for For him that honoureth me I will honour saith our God 2 This reproveth those that swallow the gratious favours Vse 2 of God without any relish or tast of them neither consider the former mercies of God nor his present blessings that live like bruit beasts saying this day is like yesterday and to morrow will be like this day and more abundant and such sensuall and carnal sons of nature there are that reap benefits where they never sowed prayers and gather mercies where they never scattered supplications 3 This chideth the Euchites of our time Vse 3 that are all for prayer and they never give God rest from petitious but like the nine Leapers when they are healed they never return any thanks I have ever commended to you the use of prayer it is a speciall part of Gods worship and God loves both frequent and importunate petitions but if we part praise from it and do not joyn thanksgiving with supplication we have the profit but God hath not the honour of his own favours All our care must not be who will shew us any good we must also offer to him the sacrifices of righteousness as well as call upon the name of the Lord for quid recipiam we must have quod retribuam Seeing God must have the glory of his own great works Vse 4 we must take the pains to search after them not onely content our selves with such as offer themselves to our consideration but we must take delight to look them out so David The works of the Lord are great Psa 111.2 sought out of all them that have pleasure therein His work is honorable and glorious and his righteousness endureth for ever He hath made his wonderfull works to be remembred Which shews that our praising of the name of God is no meritorious act of free-will but an officious service due to him and it is a great injustice in you to deny it to him for David saith He is worthy to be praised This serveth for caution Vse 5 It is a glory to God vvhen vve thankfully remember vvith praise the vvonderfull vvorks that he hath done but it is no honour to him at all vvhen vve report of him more then he hath done and put miracles upon him that he never did The Church of Rome hath long had a busie hand in these false ascriptions the golden legend of vvorm-eaten authority amongst them and their Speculum exemplorum set forth by John Major a Jesuite in Anno 1607 and Cantipatranus a Domican Friers full Volume of miracles set forth Anno 1605. tell fine tails ridiculous even to children yet the implicite faith of Papists doth svvallovv all for canonicall vvherein God is dishonored vvith humane inventions and truth it self vvith lies their legends of their Ladies of Loretto and Hales are of the same coynage and it is the policy of that Strumpet of Rome to keep this mint alvvays at vvork to amaze the ignorant vvith strange vvonders But I say unto them in the vvords of Iob Job 13.7 Will ye speak wickedly for God and talk deceitfully for him Gregory their own Pope upon these words saith Veritas fulciri non quaerit auxilio falsitatis he saith that it is the trick of hereticks It is I am sure the practise of Papists but thou man of God fly these things truth is not honored but vvith truth 2 We must search out and confesse the true cause of all the good that God doth to us Doct. 2 It is Aristotles Doctrine in his Elenches that Elene 1.4 id quod non est causa ut causam ponere to make that a cause which is not is a capatious and sophistical manner of reasoning So the Serpent over-reach't Eve in Paradise for when God had given our Parents there a precise Law Thou shalt not eat of the tree in the midst of the Garden The true cause why God put that restraint upon them vvas to try their obedience to him in a small and easie precept forbidding them a thing in it self good to shew his reservation of his own power to awe them So saith Moâ— 35.10 Saint Gregory But Satan tempting the woman to break this Law and to cast off this light burthen and easie yoak of God suggested another cause Gen. 3.5 God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eys shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil as if God had dealt too sparingly with man in the communication of his own similitude to him and had set him that bar
fear of them upon them all This is a great advantage in all wars to have God on their sides for as David saith If the Lord had not been on our side when men rose up against us they had swallowed us up c. Then is God a speciall protectour when he directeth his war to the good of them whom he protecteth and marcheth in fury against their enemies And thus it was with Israel when they took possession of Canaan as you have heard For they gate not the Land in possession by their own arm neither did their own arm save them Psal 44. but thy right hand and thine arme c. The distressed have a speciall warrant to call upon God and it was the voice of the Church when the Arke removed to say Exurgat Deus dissipentur inimici ejus let God arise and let his enemies be scattered God is mercifull to our land and Church that we yet live in peace it is full of comfort when God marcheth before his Church in their wars but it is much more happinesse when he biddeth us go to our chambers and shut the door after us and tarry a while till the storm of troubles over-blow But then it is most joyous hen he giveth peace within our walls and plenty within our palaces Thus have we lived hitherto by the favour of the God of peace and it shal do well that we do lay this example to heart For the same God that marched before Israel to plant them in doth now march before the Chaldâ—ans to cast them out he that fought for them to give them their land now fighteth against them to carry them captives out of the Land It is the indigâ—ation of God that maketh this change and it is their sin that thus provoketh him Yet they look back in their captivity and comfort themselves with the remembrance of Gods former protection Sin hath made this change are we more in the favour of God then Israel was or have we sinned lesse then they did that their evils should not come on us Surely the sins of our land are both many and hainous the double edge of the word which is drawn and used against them doth not draw bloud Nullus sequitur de vulnere sanguis The course that is taken for reformation is preposterous for men look without themselves and complaine of the faults of others and would faine amend their brethren but the right way is Let every one strive and labouâ— to amend one And all that say Let not this evill come upon us not the sword not the pestilence not famine let them be tender that no evill come out of them for our sins are they which part God and us which maketh him that set us up cast us down 2 His conquest This is exprest in divers phrases to declare it fierce and violent 1 Thou didst thresh the heathen in anger 2 Thou woundest the head out of the house of the wicked 3 Discovering the foundation to the neck All look one way to describe God in his indignation how he layes about him and they teach us that It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God for he is known by executing judgement and the heathen are punished in his sight True that he is patient and long-suffering even toward the heathen that know not God long did the cursed seed of Cham possest the land of Canaan and God deferred their punishment to the fourth generation himself giveth the reason of it For the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full There be six signs of ensuing judgment Gâ— 15.16 and where they are found what remaineth but a fearfull expectation of the fierce wrath of God 1 The qualitie of the sins committed if they be of those crying sinnes which do immediately impeach the glorious Majesty of God such as are superstition and Idolatry which do give the glory of God to creatures Blasphemy breach of Gods Sabbath Or such as violate humane society sins against nature as in the Sodomites sins of bloud as in the old world sins of oppression bribery extortion corruption of justice and such like These things do put Almighty God so to it that he saith How shal I pardon thee for these things Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord Jer. 5.7 Ver. 9. shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this The fields look yellow as Christ saith for the harvest and call for the sickle of Gods vengeance to cut them down 2 The spreading and extent of sins when it hath corrupted the most as in the old world God said to Noah Thee onely have I found righteous before me in this age And in Sodome not ten righteous to be found and in Jerusalem God said Run too and fro through the streets of Jerusalem and see now and know and seek in the broad places thereof if ye can find a man if there be any that executeth judgement that seeketh truth and I will pardon it The Prophet did go the circuit He searched amongst mean men and he found them foolish and ignorant he gate him amongst the great ones and he found them such as had broken the yoak When sin once covereth the face of the earth and is grown like a generall pestilence infecting the greatest part Moses Job Samuel and Daniel may pray and have no audience 3 The impudencie and boldnesse of sin when men are not ashamed of their evils that they commit to cover and conceal them to do them in the dark but brave the Sun with them as Absolon defiled the Concubines of David in the sight of the Sun and before all Israel It is Gods complaint of his people The shew of of their countenance doth witnesse against them Jer. 3 9. and they declare their sin as Sodome and they hide it not And again Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination nay Jer. 6.15 they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush Thou hast an Harlots forehead thou refusest to be ashamed 4 Ostentation of sin â—er 3.3 when men do make their boast thereof Why boastest thou thy self in mischief Upon which words Saint Augustine saith Gloria malignitatis gloria est malorum He saith it is a foolish boast to glory in evill for evill is easily done He gives many instances the care of preparing the seed and of the ground the sowing the weeding the attending how many hands it asketh and Absolon can set it all on fire in a moment So Samsons Foxes did the fields of the Philistines The Wiseman setteth it down as a fault Most men will proclaim every man his own goodnesse Prov. 20.6 how much more to boast of evil As wantons boast how many they have defiled and drunkards how many they have out-drunk 5 Making a mock at sin so the Wiseman saith there be that tosse fire-brands and say Am not I in sport All our sins are fire-brands we